Initial button



Jan. 12, 1937.

I R. c. BANGS 2,067,814

INITIAL BUTTON Filed Sept. 2, 1936 INVENTOR. Wm 64 ATTORNEYS PatentedJan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v mrrnu. BUTTON Ralph ClintonBangs, Providence, B. 1., asslgnor to Caro-Gram, Inc., New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application September 2, 1930, Serial No.99,076

8 Claims.

My invention relates. to a new and improved initial button.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved buttonwhich can be used on 6 shirts and garments and all other wearing apparel, said button having an initial or other ornamental design memberassociated therewith. Another object of my invention is to provideaslmple and eflicient device whereby the but- 10 ton can be readily andsecurely assembled with the initial member or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a button having a recess inthe -outer or fair side thereof so that the application oftheinitial orother ornamental member will conceal the thread which is used forattaching the button to a shirt or to any other garment.

Another object of my invention is to provide a button having a recess inits outer or fair 20 side, said recess having an undercut groove at thebase of said recess,'so that an initial memher or the like which hasresilient projections can be snapped into position, and said initialmember or the like will be securely held in 25 position.

Whenever I refer to an initial member it is to be understood that I wishto include any ornamental member or device madeof metal or othersuitable material which can be snapped 80 into position and which willbe securely held in the button.

Referring to the annexed drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of theassembled device, the button being shown with it outer or fair side at86 the bottom of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, part of the representation of thebutton having been broken away, in order to show the parts more clearly.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1, show- 40 ing the outer or fairside of the button. It is to be understood that Fig. 1 is a sectionalview on the line l-I of Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is an inner plan view of the initial member or the like,separated from the button, 45 showing the concave side of the initialmember.

Referring to Fig. 1, this shows the button member I, having the holes 2.Said button mem-' her I can be made of any suitable material, such asbone or metal, or the like. Said button member I is of the usual rigidconstruction. In the specific embodiment shown, said button I isprovided with four holes 2 for receiving the sewing thread, but theinvention is not to be limited in this respect.

' of the recess 3,

As shown in Fig. 1, the outer or fair side of the button is providedwith a recess 3. The

configuration of said recess 3 is accurately shown in Fig. 1, and itwill, be noted that'the base or inner end of said recess is provided 5with a groove whose wall 4 is of greater diameter than the adjacentwall-portion 5 of said recess. Hence the inner end of the longitudinalThe initial member 1 which is shown in Fig.

4 can be stamped out of metal or other suitable material, and thismember is embossed or otherwise treated, so as to form an initial I orany suitable ornamental design or the like.

In the particular embodiment illustrated herein,

the initial is C.

Said initial member 1 is formed with a sufiicient number of integraldepending lugs 1a which are of general concavo-convex or hooklike shape.In this particular embodiment there 35 are six members 1a, which arepreferably equally spaced. I can use any desired number of said members1a.

The initial member is of general dome or arch shape as shown in Fig. l,with its convex face outward.

The distance between the outer ends of the diametrically opposed tongues1a of the initial member 1, when said tongues are unstressed, is

greater than the diameter of the wall-portion 5. The taperedwall-portion. 6 permits the initial member I to be readily forced intothe mouth as said tapered wall-portion causes the tongues. 1a to bemoved inwardly,

so that they can enter that part of the recess 40 which has thewall-portion 5.

Upon applying sufi'icient pressure, the tongues la can be moved intocontact with and along the wall-portion 5, until the tongues 1a canspring outwardly so as to engage the undercut wall-portion 4 of therecess 3. The frictional grip and resilience of the tongues 1a are sum--cient to hold the initial member 7 firmly in position.

removed by applying a pin or other tool of small I diameter through oneor more of the holes 2,

Said wall- 10' member 1 can be forced Portions whereby the initial outof the position shown in Fig. l. of the tongues la may 2, or some ofsaid holes. said tongues should not is, as shown in Fig. l, the inwardlybent endportions of said tongues 1a can be short enough to clear theholes 2. While the tongues are integral with the initial member, thebody of said initial member is dome-shaped, so that it is rigid. Thetongues 1a are shaped so as to make them resilient. By forcing the tooldirectly against the dome-shaped part of the initial, said initial canbe removed tongues. Hence, the initials can be readilyremoved from thebuttons, and then replaced. As shown in Fig. 1, center of the buttonthan the wall of recess 3, so that the holes are located inwardly,relative to said wall. The convex walls of tongues 1a abut the inner endconvex walls have substantially the same contour as the concavelongitudinal section of wall 4 and the inner ends of said walls have thesame contour as the end-wall of recess 3, when member I is in position.

The outer surface of the initial member 1 may be flush with the outerend of the wall of the recess 3, or else theouter surface of the initialmember I may project above or be 10- However, I prefer that obstructholes 2; That cated below the outer end of the wall of said recess 3.

When used, the initial member 'I conceals the thread which has beenpassed through the holes 2, and which is used for securing the button Ito the garment. As shown in Fig. l, the member 1 is wholly within thelateral wall of recess'3, so that no part of member 1 projects laterallybeyond the longitudinal wall of said recess.

An ornamental effect is thus provided. Likewise, the retailer can keep astock of the initials on hand, and readily apply said initials to thebuttons, when a shirt or other garment is sold. The buttons can be sewedto the shirt during the manufacture of the garment, in the ordinarymanner, prior to applying the initials.

.having a recess at the wall of said recess The invention isparticularly useful for application to the cuff-buttons of shirts, as itprovides means whereby said buttons can be ornamented, and the shirt canbe identified.

The edge of the initial 1 may be slightly spaced from the wall'portion5, or fit snugly in said Wall-portion. V

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is clear thatnumerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from itsspirit.

I claim:

'1. In combination, a button made of rigid material and having holes forreceiving sewing thread in the rear side thereof, said button fair sidethereof, said said recess, the longitudinal having an undercut portionat its inner end, and a supplemental member removably held in saidrecess, said supplemental member substantially filling said recess andcovering said holes, said supplemental member having spaced resilienttongues which engage said undercut portion of the wall of said recess,said tongues having inwardly directed convexo-concave shapes, the convexwalls of said tongues abutting the undercut portion of the wall of theholes opening into be aligned with holes without injuring the the holes"2 are closer to the v wall of recess 3 and said ICCBSS 2. Incombination, a button having holes for receiving sewing thread in therear side thereof, said button being made of rigid material and having arecess at the fair side thereof, said holes opening into said recess andbeing laterally inwardly located relative to the longitudinal wall ofsaid recess, the innermost portion of the longitudinal wall of saidrecess having a larger diameter than the outer wall-portion of thelongitudinal wall of said recess, and a supplemental member, whichsubstantially fills said recess, said supplemental member having spacedresilient tongues resiliently engaging the innermost wall-portion of thewall of said recess, said tongues having concavo-convex shapes, theconvex walls of said tongues abutting said innermost portion and alsoabutting the inner end wall of said recess.

3. In combination, a button having holes for receiving sewing thread inits rear side, said button being made of rigid material and having arecess at the fair side thereof, said holes being laterally inwardlylocated relative to the longitudinal wall of said recess, the innermostportion of the longitudinal wall of said recess having a larger diameterthan the outer wall-portion of the longitudinal wall of said recess, anda supplemental member which substantially fills said recess, saidsupplemental member having spaced resilient tongues resiliently engagingthe innermost wall-portion of the wall of said recess, said tongueshaving concavo-convex shapes, the convex walls of said tongues abuttingthe inner end wall of said recess, the tips of the free ends of saidtongues being laterally further away than said holes from the centrallongitudinal axis of the button, the innermost portions of said tonguesabutting the inner end wall of said recess and having substantially thesame longitudinal contour as the longitudinal contour of the innermostwall-portion of the wall of the recess.

4. In combination with a solid button having the usual thread holes andadapted to be used as a conventional button, the top surface of which iscounter-sunk to provide a central cavity spaced a substantial distancefromthe edges of the button wherein the sewing threads may be located,the said thread holes opening through the bottom surface of the buttonand piercing the bottom of the said counter-sunk cavity, a metal insertupon the top surface of which insignia may be impressed, received in thesaid cavity of the button, adapted to transform the said conventionalbutton into a composite button comprising the said button and the saidmetal insert, the said transformed button presenting a top facebordering the centrally located, insignia bearing metal insert, andmeans on the insert for removably holding the same in the saidcounter-sunk cavity of the button and in spaced relation to the bottomof the cavity whereby the said metal insert may be attached to thebutton to transform it into said composite button and whereby the saidmetal insert may be removed from the composite button to transform thelatter into the conventional button.

5. A cap member adapted to be attached to a body member, such as abutton or the like, the exposed face of which is provided with a cavityhaving undercut peripheral edges, said cap member being provided with aplurality of prongs receivable in the said cavity of the body member,the outside diameter of the cap member at and also abutting the innerend wall of said recess.

its said prongs being greater than the diameter the usual thread holesand adapted to .be used of the said cavity at the exposed face of the asa conventional all-bone button, the top sursaid body member whereby thesaid prongs will face of which is counter-sunk to provide a cenunderliethe said undercut edge of the cavity, tral cavity spaced asubstantialdistance from the the said prongs comprising an outwardly inedges of thebutton wherein the sewing threads 5 clined portion dependent from thecap member may be located, the said thread holes opening and an inwardlyinclined portion, the said outthrough the bottom surface of thebuttonand and the diameter of the cap at the distal end which insignia may beimpressed, received in the of the said inwardly inclined portion beingsaid cavity of the bone button, adapted to trans smaller thanthe saiddiameter of the cavity of form the said conventional all-bone buttoninto the body member whereby the cap member will a composite buttoncomprising the said bone butformed button presenting a bone facebordering 6. In combination with a bone button having the centrallylocated, insignia-bearing metal inthe usual thread holes and adapted tobe used sert, and means on the insert for removablyholdas a conventionalall-bone button, the top suring the same in the said counter-sunk cavityof face of which is counter-sunk to provide a centhe bone button,comprising an element dependtral cavity spaced a substantial distancefrom ing from the insert and seated on the bottom of the edges of thebutton wherein the sewing the cavity, whereby the said metal insert mayof which insignia may be impressed, received in conventional all-bonebutton.

the said cavity of the bone button, adapted to 8. In combination, abutton having holes for transform the said conventional all-bone buttonreceiving thread in its rear wall, said button havinto a compositebutton comprising the said bone ing. a recess at the fair side thereofdefined by an button and the said metal insert, the said transinner endwall and a longitudinal wall, said holes sert, and means on the insertfor removably noid-' m a s whi h a ut th inner end wall of said reingthe same in the said counter-sunk cavity of cess and w ich re a ab yenga e the longitudithe bone button and in spaced relation to the milWall d recess, d dome-shaped membottom of the cavity whereby the saidmetal insubstantially fi in a d ecess. t e maximum sert may be attachedto the bone button to transdiameter the Said remiss being t east itsform it into the said composite button and wheregreat as the maximumlateral dimension of aid by thesaid metal insert may be removed fr msupplemental member, the said supplemental into the conventional bonebutton. i udinal wall of said recess.

7. In combination with a bone button having RALPH I

